A way of getting a key for an antique padlock

[fjardeson]

Pictures below:

1) Nice old push key padlock, alas no key, and it's one of those Miller type mechanisms - tough pick.
2) Hmmm... is that the same key code as mine, and a picture of the key? (Credit to antique-padlocks.com)
3) Copy, paste, resize, print!
4) Dremeling an old Dell hard drive rail into a key
5) Voila!

[Dak]

how do you pick a lock like that. I have an old yale lock that is a "pin tumbler push key". how do open dis rock?

[raimundo]

It appears that he is using stiff plastic to impression it.

[fjardeson]

Actually Raimundo, I used the image on the Web site from http://www.antique-padlocks.com (sorry, first two images did not load!) to make a key. Someone with the same lock code "MV" posted a picture of their lock AND the key. That is what those printed images on the first picture are.

I don't think there is a way to impression a Miller mechanism since the springs are all the same strength, and there is no way to "put a bind" on the levers (like a pin and cam pick). It's actually quite secure. If you have heard of a better way to pick these I'm all ears

If you have Graham Pulford's excellent book, look on page 380.

[Jaakko]

I don't think there is a way to impression a Miller mechanism since the springs are all the same strength, and there is no way to "put a bind" on the levers (like a pin and cam pick). It's actually quite secure. If you have heard of a better way to pick these I'm all ears

If you have Graham Pulford's excellent book, look on page 380.

Just a suggestion: Use a small wire that has a very small L-shape in the end to insert between levers and when you are able to turn the wire, you are in a gate area, so you can figure out the keycut for that lever from the length of wire inserted.

One idea to find the actuator lever is to push in the shackle (as it tries to disengage the L-shaped bolt from the levers) and then measure the spring strength of each lever. The actuator lever (being the same kind as others) will show more force, as the spring is pre-tensioned more than the others.

And last idea is to make a pin&cam type tool but with sliders that can be positioned individually. This way, after you've found the actuator lever, you can pick each gate into position.